UNT Notebook: Torn ACL found in Brown’s right knee

North
Texas will be without one of its top junior college additions for at least the
first part of next season.

Quenton
Brown, a former Eastern Arizona College standout who transferred to UNT at the
semester break, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee
Saturday during the Mean Green’s first scrimmage of spring practice.

Brown
underwent an MRI on Monday. UNT announced Tuesday that the exam revealed a tear
in Brown’s ACL.

“It’s
realistic to get him back for conference play,” UNT coach Dan McCarney said.
“He won’t be back for nonconference. He has a great attitude about it right
now.”

McCarney
said that Brown will undergo reconstructive ACL surgery as soon as the swelling
in his knee subsides.

UNT opens
Conference USA play Oct. 5 at Tulane.

UNT
brought Brown in to help fill the void left by the graduation of K.C. Obi, who
led the Mean Green in sacks (5 1/2) and tackles for loss (10 1/2) last season.

Brown started
his career at Central Florida under current UNT defensive coordinator John
Skladany before transferring to Eastern Arizona, where he finished with 12
sacks as a sophomore.

Brown
impressed UNT’s coaches during the short time he was on the field during spring
drills.

“He
showed that we made a good decision in bringing him in here,” McCarney said.

UNT knew
heading into the workouts that it would be without several key defensive
linemen for spring due to lingering injuries they suffered during the 2012 season.
Starting defensive end Brandon McCoy and backup Daryl Mason were ruled out
before spring practice began.

UNT also
is without Ryan Boutwell, who started at tackle last season.

Redshirt
freshman tackle Dylan McDorman had been ruled out and later had to give up
football due to shoulder issues.

UNT will
be shorthanded for the remainder of spring practice in terms of defensive
linemen.

What is
an even bigger concern is what UNT’s lineup will look like in the fall. UNT has
already begun moving players to address its needs.

UNT moved
outside linebacker Chad Polk to defensive end, a switch McCarney called one of
the best the staff has made in his time with the program.

The Mean
Green’s staff also is considering playing Boutwell at end and tackle next
season. The senior is undersized for an interior lineman at 261 pounds.

“Defensive
end is his natural position,” McCarney said. “He has to eat seven meals a day
to be at the size to be a tackle. I have had guys who can play inside and
outside. We will look at playing him in both spots. He would like to help us at
end if he can.”

What
could become particularly vital for UNT is having its other tackles progress in
spring to the point that the team can afford to play Boutwell more at defensive
end.

UNT has
gone the entire Sun Belt season thus far without losing a conference series.

If UNT
can keep that streak alive over the next couple of weeks — beginning at home
this weekend against perennial conference power Louisiana-Lafayette — it could
end up in contention for the league title.

UNT
(18-14. 6-4 Sun Belt) will face the Ragin’ Cajuns in a 2 p.m. doubleheader
Saturday before the series ends with an 11 a.m. game Sunday.

UNT
enters the series in third place in the standings. Every team in the Sun Belt
has at least three losses in league play.

ULL
(22-11, 5-4) also is in the race for the Sun Belt title, as is South Alabama
(29-7, 6-3). UNT will face the Jaguars next weekend.

“The next
two series are the most important we have,” UNT coach T.J. Hubbard said. “We
finish up with Louisiana-Monroe and Middle Tennessee, which are at the bottom
of the league. To make a push to the top, we need to play well the next two
weekends.”

UNT won
two of three last week at Florida Atlantic.

FAU won
the first game 3-2 before UNT exploded for 13 runs in the final two games of
the series, winning 6-0 and 7-2.

Brooke
Foster went 3-for-8 in the last two games of the series and hit a home run, her
fourth of the year.

Track and field

UNT sees home meet as chance to crank it up

UNT will
host its only home meet of the season this weekend, the North Texas Classic at
Fouts Field.

UNT plans
to take advantage by making a run at several national qualifying marks.

“The last
three weeks we have been traveling, going back and forth and competing on
Friday,“ UNT coach Carl Sheffield said. “This will be the first week that we
will have five days to train, sleep in our own beds, get up and compete. We are
looking forward to it.”

UNT enters
the meet off a solid performance at the Texas Relays. Jo Adams finished third
in the 1,500-meter run in a school-record time of 4:19.09. She was the top
collegiate finisher in the race and now has the fifth-fastest time in the event
nationally.

Matt Russ
ran a personal-best 3:51.46 in the men’s 1,500.

UNT is
hoping those performances are a sign of what is to come this weekend.

The
hammer throw and the triple jump will take place Friday, with the majority of
events to follow on Saturday. Field events begin at 9 a.m. with running events
at 2:30 p.m.

“March
for us is like the preseason,“ Sheffield said. “This weekend we will finally
put everyone where they belong and go after qualifying marks for the national
meet.”

Tennis

UTA match canceled

UNT had
its third match in the last three weeks canceled Tuesday, when the Mean Green’s
showdown at rival Texas-Arlington was called off due to inclement weather.

UNT had a
March 23 match against Columbia canceled due to weather and then had Georgia
State back out of a match slated for Saturday in Louisville, Ky., because of
budgetary concerns.

UNT will
return to action Thursday when it hosts Tyler Junior College.

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870 or
via Twitter at @brettvito.

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